


dave and jade: babysit your nephew

by petasos



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coming Out, Davejade Week 2020, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Pregnancy, Implied/Referenced Sex, Kid Fic, Light Angst, Minor John Egbert/Roxy Lalonde, Nonbinary Roxy Lalonde, Not Epilogue Compliant, The Homestuck Epilogues: Candy, Trans Female John Egbert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22840306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petasos/pseuds/petasos
Summary: Dave and Jade babysit Harry Anderson. This, as you expect, goes very well. No, seriously, it goes very well.
Relationships: Jade Harley/Dave Strider
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	dave and jade: babysit your nephew

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY DAVEJADE WEEK DAY SEVEN!!! i went with epilogues …. surprisingly.
> 
> note: warning for roxy using he/him pronouns. also this isn't candy compliant but it's also not... not? i guess?

She’s pretty sure that John is trying to kill her. Really, genuinely, truly kill her. He’s smiling at her, but she thinks she can tell the murderous intent in his eyes. Ugh.

JOHN: it’ll only be a few days.

He gives her that toothy grin, gesturing over at his five year old son - Harry Anderson looks like the perfect mixture of John and Roxy, and while she loves her nephew, Jade isn’t really _that_ good with kids!

If this was a movie, you’d see snapshots of her relationship with Tavros and Vrissy. How both her youngest brother and her goddaughter absolutely do not really like being around her. Jade Harley has never been one for kids, honestly.

At _least_ Dave is. Sort of. He loves kids. He babysits Vrissy and Harry Anderson all the time! He’s pretty dang good at it, too, as long as they don’t convince him to give him all of the ice cream. She’s really damn thankful for her fiance.

JADE: okay…  
JADE: but daves gonna be sitting took, ok?  
JOHN: i know.

He’s still smiling at her. She hates his mustache, it makes him look even more like Jake, but she’s pretty sure Jake only has the mustache ‘cause Jane likes them. It’s a good thing Jane and Jake have a decent relationship - she can imagine some alternate universe where-in-which Jane’s an evil dictator running for president, but that’s not the Jane she knows. Jane and Jake own a bakery and their son, Tavros (not to be confused with Gcatavros, Jake’s moirail), just sits there looking cutesy all day. 

JOHN: i already asked him, and he said he would if you did.

Oh. Huh.

JADE: so its just the weekend?  
JOHN: yeah, me and rox have plans for our anniversary.  
JOHN: but they’re, you know.  
JOHN: adult plans.

John gestures backwards at his husband (Roxy’s been trying out he/him pronouns, says he might be genderfluid? Jade doesn’t get the whole gender thing; gender’s dumb and overrated.) 

Roxy grins, flinging an arm around John’s shoulders. 

ROXY: dont worry, harrys not getting a sibling anytime soon.  
ROXY: were bringin plenty of condoms!!

Jade leans backwards against the kitchen counter, laughing a little at her friend’s words. 

JADE: i didnt need to know that!!  
ROXY: what, that im banging ur hot bro?  
ROXY: that we have a kiddo?  
ROXY: ok ok i get it, ill shhhh. 

He pretends to zip his lips with his fingers, before pressing a glossy kiss to John’s cheek. 

ROXY: well bring him by tomorrow, and well come get him monday??  
DAVE: that works

Dave’s voice comes from behind Jade, and she turns to see her fiance staring at the fridge. He’s so quiet she didn’t even realize he was home - she sort of expected he was out with Karkat, or maybe Dirk, but apparently not. 

DAVE: dont worry john  
DAVE: we wont murder your son

John glares. It immediately falters, but the sentiment is there.

JOHN: you _better_ not.  
DAVE: i take pride in my ability to not kill kids dude  
DAVE: you really think thats even a possibility  
DAVE: yeah sure  
DAVE: why dont i just lock him up in the fridge or somethin  
DAVE: cause thats completely and totally normal  
DAVE: lockin five year olds in fridges  
DAVE: this isnt the goonies movie john we arent going to take your son on a wild goose hunt for some treasure or whatever the fuck happened in that movie  
DAVE: all i remember is that scene with a dick in it  
DAVE: i think it was a dick i cant remember  
DAVE: maybe the entire movie was the directors shitty game of self masturbatory chicken  
DAVE: thought itd break up the monotony of shoveling his wifes shitty meatloaf down his throat

Dave pauses, probably realizing he’s about to go on the lengthiest tangent in the universe.

DAVE: hey harry do you like ice cream

Harry perks up at that. He was messing around on Roxy’s phone, before (kids these days), but now he’s grinning a bucktoothed smile at his uncle/half-brother (Jade knows Dave tries not to think about that.) 

HARRY ANDERSON: yes! the pink and white and chocolate one.  
HARRY ANDERSON: neo… nea…  
HARRY ANDERSON: neapolitics?  
DAVE: close enough

Roxy laughs, and John… does not. 

JOHN: don’t feed him too much. his bed time’s at -  
DAVE: we can go over this tomorrow  
DAVE: me and jade have plans  
DAVE: that do not involve kids  
DAVE: adult plans  
DAVE: like the ones you got

Dave makes a finger gun at John, who groans, and Jade’s face heats up a little at the implications (which, _yes_ , are exactly what you’d expect! She has no shame but really, Dave?) 

DAVE: yes well babysit  
DAVE: yes we know he has a bedtime  
DAVE: yes we know not to feed him too much sugar  
DAVE: lets talk more tomorrow  
DAVE: go think about how youre gonna copulate child free tomorrow  
DAVE: make the beast with two -

Roxy cuts him off with a cough. John looks like he’s about to have steam coming out of his ears, like one of those old timey cartoons. Harry Anderson’s back to playing on his phone and not paying attention to this conversation. Jade’s just thinking about how she wants to have grilled cheese for dinner, the kind with the ham in it. Maybe some bacon. Her inner dog gets excited about that, even if she can’t feel Bec anymore.

JOHN: okay. we’re going.

John grabs his son’s hand, and Harry waves goodbye as they head out the front door.

Dave slumps against the fridge door, looking more exhausted than he usually does - she has a feeling it’s because of the fact they agreed to this.

DAVE: did we really just agree to that  
JADE: yeah…  
JADE: well  
JADE: you ACTUALLY said youd do it as long as i said yes??

She pulls herself up onto the counter, facing him with her legs dangling off. She’s not angry, her tone doesn’t come off as angry, she knows he can tell she isn’t angry. He still pulls a face at her words, a ‘duh isn’t that obvious?’ expression.

DAVE: well yeah  
DAVE: youre my fiancee  
DAVE: we make decisions together babe  
DAVE: this is a two for one deal  
DAVE: if they want me they get you too  
DAVE: and vice versa  
DAVE: or at least im pretty sure thats how that works  
DAVE: ive never been engaged before  
DAVE: hell youre my first serious relationship and thats saying something  
DAVE: do i LOOK like someone whos never been in a serious relationship before 

He gestures down at himself, like the fact that he’s pretty damn hot is a good reason for him to be in a relationship. She disagrees - she doesn’t love him because he’s _attractive_ , she loves him because he’s _Dave_. Though, he is incredibly and rather unfairly hot.

DAVE: they just cant put up with me  
DAVE: im too attractive for them  
JADE: you dated terezi for two weeks on the meteor!  
DAVE: three weeks  
DAVE: and i was thirteen  
JADE: you and karkat...

Dave pushes his shades up into his hair, to show Jade he’s rolling his eyes. She already knew. He gets this look on his face when he does that. 

DAVE: we never dated  
DAVE: i dunno why you have this obsession with sayin i was dating karkat  
DAVE: we lived together for a while and thats all  
DAVE: he was my best bud  
DAVE: the supes to my bats  
DAVE: the  
DAVE: i dunno  
DAVE: bucky to my cap  
JADE: bucky and captain america were totally a thing!!  
DAVE: ok fair scrap that last one  
DAVE: just cause im bi doesnt mean i wanted to jump karkats bones  
DAVE: or stick his tentadick up my ass  
DAVE: i way prefer my girlfriend to karkat  
DAVE: no offense to him but im not interested  
JADE: youre very sweet

He flash-steps so he’s standing right between her legs (he’s a few inches taller than her, but with her on the counter, he has to look up.) She leans down, kisses him, before pulling back.

JADE: should we set up the guest room?  
DAVE: yeah  
DAVE: after you kiss me some more  
DAVE: gotta get my daily intake of fiancee kisses 

He grins at the word ‘fiancee’ - has every time it’s mentioned for the past month since they decided to get married. She thinks it’s really sweet, honestly - and she likes saying ‘fiance’, likes introducing him as her fiance, so maybe it’s just something about being engaged. The rings on their fingers. Something like that. It was a mutual decision - they’d talked about maybe getting married for a while, before proposing. At the same time.

While it was a hilarious and sweet story to tell people, it’d been awkward at the time - even if both of them had turned bright red and laughed it off. Sure, she’s happy it happened that way, that he loves her that much… she had wanted to be the one to pop the question, is that so wrong?

So she slides down, pulls him towards the couch, landing on it with ease and pulling him down on top of her, so he’s straddling her legs and has one hand in her hair and the other on one side of her face. He’s grinning, face flushed, his glasses askew atop his pale hair.

DAVE: i love you  
JADE: i love you too  
DAVE: i know

He leans forward, kisses her, and she kisses back, because by god does she love Dave Strider so much. Sometimes she regrets, a little, how much she pushed at the beginning of their relationship - but he put his foot down, pretty quickly, told her that he wasn’t interested in playing footsie like that. She can almost quote it exactly, him reminding her that he didn’t have much experience in those fields, and didn’t really want to just jump in the water when there might be sharks.

And she’s thankful he did - she’s not the best at relationships, but they have it down to a science, five years of being together, six in three months. And maybe that’s a long time to wait, to get married, but she doesn’t care.

They take it at their own pace.

* * *

She wakes up, feeling fresh, warm in bed next to Dave. Gets up and gathers their clothes off the floor, leading through the hall, and tosses ‘em in the laundry to be safe, gets dressed and brushes her hair and teeth. Dave hops in the shower while she’s making breakfast (she’s not the best cook, but she’s learned enough.) They fix up the guest room together, making the bed and making sure there’s room for Harry’s things.

Jade leaves for work (as SkaiaNet’s head nuclear physicist, she can’t really miss much), and Dave works on his comics and music until she gets home. It’s 4 pm, and they’re crashed out on the couch, watching an older episode of the Earth C version of _Doctor Who_ when there’s a knock on the door, and Dave pretty much jumps to his feet immediately, smoothing down his shirt - there’s a hickey or two where his shirt was riding up, because Jade likes leaving marks - hello, she’s half-dog. Dave is her territory.

DAVE: theyre here  
JADE: wait really?

It’s hyperbole. He knows it’s hyperbole. She has two big dog ears, she can hear John, Roxy, and Harry outside, and adjusts her skirt - her tail’s wagging already, god how she loves seeing her family! - before heading over to the door, opening it and grinning at her brother, his spouse, and their son, aka Jade’s nephew.

JOHN: hey guys. we’re here. obviously.  
JOHN: we put together a list -  
JADE: hey!!!!!!!!

She pretty much glomps them in a hug. Even Harry, who’s smiling brightly despite the hug - he really does have that Harleybert signature smile, that’s for sure. She thinks it’s pretty cute.

They step inside the house - it’s cold outside, John closes the door behind him, doesn’t bother with locking it because he and Roxy will be leaving in a moment. Harry sets down the bag he’s carrying, pulls off his backpack. It’s a very small backpack.

DAVE: ok what list  
JOHN: hold on, i have it here somewhere.

John digs through his jacket pockets before pulling out a list. It’s… rather long, in John’s signature blue color. Jade takes it, scans over it. Bedtime’s at 8, not too much sugar, he can’t watch shows rated PG-13 or above, don’t let him on the computer after dinner, etc. Pretty basic stuff, she supposes. About the same as what she’s gotten for little Vriska or Tavros. Dave reads over his shoulder, and she shrinks herself down a teensy bit to give him a better view, putting herself at a good 5’5” just for a few moments. 

JADE: ok!!  
JADE: we can remember this  
DAVE: totally  
JADE: absolutely

Roxy drops down to his knees, pulls Harry Anderson into a hug, grinning. 

ROXY: well see u in a few days ok kiddo?  
ROXY: love you  
HARRY ANDERSON: i love you too dad.

Roxy gets back up to his feet, wiping away tears. Jade didn’t realize he was tearing up. She feels a little bad, taking their son from them, and her ears and tail droop a little. Okay, she’s not really taking Harry away - she’s just taking care of him for a few days, with Dave. That’s all.

ROXY: man i dont think weve ever gone away this long.  
JOHN: hey, it’s ok. dave and jade are great with kids!

John quickly gives Harry a hug, and then gets to his feet, gives Jade one to boot. She grins back at him, and he smiles past that ugly mustache.

JOHN: i trust you.  
JADE: you better!  
JOHN: just consult the list, ok?  
JOHN: he’s allergic to peanuts. please don’t feed him peanuts. but if he gets some, there’s an epi-pen…  
JADE: i know, john  
JADE: we arent going to let any harm come to him!!  
JADE: hes my favorite nephew  
JOHN: he’s your only nephew.  
ROXY: what he said  
JADE: for now!!!!

She grins, raising one eyebrow at him, and John flushes a dark red color at the implications. She really does have a feeling Harry’s going to have a sibling in the next year or two - John and Roxy love their kid, and they’re great parents. She remembers them taking parenting classes when Roxy found out he was pregnant, remembers Jane and Jake coming along for a few after Jane announced her pregnancy, remembers that being the reason Jane decided to step down from doing all the work at CrockerCorp.

John’s still blushing when he and Roxy leave, and Dave heads into the kitchen to get started on dinner - mac’n’cheese, of course, because it’s both Harry’s current favorite _and_ one of Dave’s favorites. Jade doesn’t mind it if there’s bacon in it, and also doesn’t mind watching him cook, because hello, he has a nice butt.

Harry climbs up onto the island bar stool, sitting there with a box of crayons and some paper. The blue crayon’s practically worn down, and an idea pops to mind, Jade sitting down on the stool next to him, taking a break from watching her fiance’s ass.

JADE: hey do you want me to make that crayon bigger for you?  
HARRY ANDERSON: can you do that??

Jade grins, taking the crayon and using her Space powers to resize it. Harry’s eyes widen, and he gingerly takes the crayon when she hands it back to him. It’s larger, sure, and probably won’t really fit into the box as well as it could, but there’s definitely more blue there. He tests it on the paper, letting out an excited squee and wiggling a little at her.

HARRY ANDERSON: that’s so cool!!!!!  
HARRY ANDERSON: how did you do that?  
HARRY ANDERSON: is it ‘cause you’re a goddess?

JADE: yes!!!  
JADE: im the witch of space  
JADE: which means i can resize crayons!  
HARRY ANDERSON: you have the _coolest_ powers, aunt jade.

Jade blushes a little. Does she really have the coolest powers? Gosh, that’s a great compliment... coming from a kid... but then again, he hasn’t seen Dave time travel, and probably hasn’t seen his dad literally turn into air (which is by far the coolest power, and Jade wishes she could do _that_ over teleportation.)

Dave’s boiling water and leaning against the counter and watching them, when she finally looks up from the art Harry’s drawing.

DAVE: oh yeah she totally has the coolest powers  
DAVE: you should see what she can do to my hoodies after theyve shrunk in the wash  
JADE: the washing machine sucks!  
DAVE: so do you and you dont see me complaining

Dave immediately covers his mouth, and Jade blushes a bit more before laughing. Harry obviously hasn’t noticed the _very_ obvious innuendo, thank goodness - he’s a kid, what did she expect? That he’d know what Dave was meaning?

JADE: ...can i borrow some paper too?  
HARRY ANDERSON: sure!  
HARRY ANDERSON: i’m drawing mom and dad.  
HARRY ANDERSON: well… dad and dad, i guess.  
HARRY ANDERSON: mom says she doesn’t always feel like he’s my mom. i don’t know how you can feel like your not someone’s mom… but he says sometimes he feels like he’s my dad instead?

Dang, for a five year old... he’s pretty smart.

He shows her the paper - and yes, it’s Roxy and John, albeit scribbled and clearly drawn by a kid. Roxy’s hair is cut short, like it is now, and he’s wearing pink, and John’s wearing green, of course. They’re holding hands, which look like oven mitts. She thinks it’s the cutest thing in the world, would put it on her fridge if she could.

That’s what people do in the movies.

JADE: thats really good!!!!  
JADE: its very colorful  
JADE: i like it :D

Harry hums and goes back to drawing, coloring a bit outside the lines, but it’s not like Jade cares. It’s really cute, but all art done by kids is cute, right? 

She briefly wonders if she had kids, would their art also be cute? Would they take after Dave on the art front, and be genuinely good at it when they aren’t trying to make it look like trash? Of course Dave would be the father… they’d have to go the ectobiology route or try for a surrogate or adopt, probably - she may be intersex, but she doesn’t have a working uterus, and she doesn’t really _want_ to carry around a child for almost an entire year, as nice as having a baby sounds.

Does she even want kids? She doesn’t know. She and Dave haven’t really talked much about that option - sure, they’ve been together bordering on six years, but it’s just never really come up! Maybe an offhanded mention or two, a curious question about kids, but she doesn’t even know if Dave wants kids.

Maybe they make good babysitters, but not good parents. She doesn’t really know.

Her thought process is cut off when Dave says something, and she blinks, her ears perking up.

JADE: huh?  
JADE: sorry i was thinking  
DAVE: i asked if youd prefer peas and carrots or broccoli to go with it  
JADE: broccoli!!!  
DAVE: thought so  
DAVE: dunno why i bother

He smiles at her, despite the words, and pulls a frozen bag of broccoli out of the freezer.

* * *

After dinner, they settle down on the couch, Jade’s head on Dave’s shoulder, Harry Anderson sitting off to the side and drawing while some troll kids’ show plays. She leans over, entangles her fingers with Dave’s - he gives her that sappy look he reserves for her, and even now, after nearly six years, her stomach still flutters. She’s twenty-eight and _still_ head over heels in love with him, just like she was at thirteen, even if she was too young to have a word for it.

Back then, he made her smile, her knees feel weak, and her stomach feel like it was filled with a butterfly exhibit, and he still does.

His nails are painted black and chipped, the engagement ring she bought on his ring finger - it’s simple, something he would wear and wouldn’t take off. She just stares at the metal and how the light catches on it, transfixed on the sound of some Disney show playing in the background, her 

It’s when Harry starts snoring that she realizes how late it is, and her eyes widen, nudging at Dave, who’s half-asleep and sort of blankly staring at the television. 

JADE: hes asleep  
DAVE: wh  
JADE: harry anderson!!  
JADE: its like 8:45!!!  
DAVE: hey calm your beans its fine hes asleep

She glares at him, and he makes that face where she just knows he’s rolling his eyes behind his shades. She teleports herself off the couch, picks up Harry, and teleports into the guest room without waking him up, carefully depositing him onto the bed. He stirs a little, and she puts the covers over him, and he just snuggles up against the pillow, still snoring.

He looks really sweet when he sleeps, blond curls framing his face. Roxy’s hair. John’s darker skin and teeth. He looks adorable, but then again, most kids do, probably. She doesn’t much remember being a kid herself, but she’s sure she was, too. And she’s seen pictures of when Dave was a kid - he has a few saved, hates sharing them with people, but pulled them out in a pseudo-argument to prove he had as many freckles then as he does now.

She watches for another moment or two, the rise and fall of the blanket, before teleporting back into the living room, an extraneously silly use of her powers. Dave’s still on the couch - she’d think he hadn’t moved, but now he’s got a bag of chips, so clearly he has. He looks up when she approaches, one brow raised over his shades.

DAVE: did he get to sleep fine  
DAVE: did you read any stories to him  
DAVE: he used to like solely that one about the moon  
JADE: no hes fine!  
JADE: no thanks to you

She gives him a pout, and he laughs, grabbing her hand to pull her onto the couch, this sweet and goofy smile spreading across his face. She pushes the shades up and out of his face so she can kiss him without them getting in the way - learned the hard way two pairs of shades don’t _quite_ make a right. Dave grins up at her, her legs on either side of his bony hips, reaching up to thread his fingers through her dark brown hair, and she presses her mouth to his, smiling against his lips.

It’s after a few minutes of making out (and a bit of dry-humping) that Dave pulls back, panting just a little.

DAVE: we really shouldnt be doing this  
JADE: i know  
JADE: we could take it to the bedroom…

He snickers, pushing her onto the couch so he’s the one on top. The way the light frames him is _really_ nice, makes him look like he belonged on Prospit as much as she did. But then again, he is blocking out the lights.

DAVE: either way its probably not a good idea  
DAVE: what if harry anderson gets lonely or wakes up and forgets hes not at home and flips out  
DAVE: and were in the passionate throes of fucking  
JADE: that sentence would be better if you said love making  
DAVE: when have we ever made love  
JADE: several times!!  
JADE: the first time for sure  
JADE: and on our anniversary every year  
JADE: and my birthday last year  
JADE: aaaaaaand

He rolls his eyes - she can see that, this time - and presses his mouth against hers to shut her up for a moment. It’s usually the other way around, but his mouth is nice and warm and a little wet and she doesn’t mind much.

DAVE: ok ok i get it  
DAVE: still  
DAVE: probably a bad idea  
JADE: i know but  
JADE: arent you mr time travel  
JADE: cant you do something about that

His eyes widen in a sort of happy shock, and he grins down at her, one hand cupping at the side of her face, before he leans in really close, his breath tickling her ear when he speaks.

DAVE: youre a genius ms harley  
JADE: oh im always a genius  
DAVE: i know  
DAVE: its why im marrying you  
DAVE: someones gotta keep me smart  
JADE: oh shoosh  
JADE: no talking  
JADE: you me bedroom now

(In the end, they do _not_ get caught, and time travel is not necessary at all. It’s probably a bad idea regardless, but Jade likes having to keep Dave way quieter than usual, and the same can probably be said on Dave’s side.)

* * *

She wakes to the smell of pancake batter. She gets out of bed, stretching and yawning, changing out of the pajama shorts she slept in last night and pulling on one of her favorite dresses (always a good idea to pair frills with floral, or so Kanaya told her when she designed this dress for her - clothes at the store never have a hole for the tail.)

Harry Anderson’s sitting at the counter while Dave makes waffles (an explanation to the smell! Hypothesis proven true.) Dave looks exhausted, as always, and definitely needs a shave, smiling when he sees her.

DAVE: theres my favorite girl  
JADE: oh im your favorite girl?  
DAVE: who else would be  
DAVE: rose  
DAVE: kanaya  
DAVE: they dont give me an unlimited supply of apple juice via cool space powers

She teleports over, tail wagging, to kiss him right on the mouth, her arms around his neck. He grins, kissing her with a bit of force behind the hand on her waist, and pulls back - he’s wearing one of her shirts, re-sized by her own space powers. It smells like her shampoo, body wash, and matching lotion set - vanilla bean and cake-frosting.

HARRY ANDERSON: ewww.  
HARRY ANDERSON: you guys are gross!

Jade turns, raising her eyebrows at her nephew - surely he’s seen his dads making out before! Or at least kissing a little… then again, John’s not super into PDA, while Jade’s 100% sure Roxy doesn’t give one singular fuck if people see him kissing his husband. 

DAVE: hey im allowed to kiss my super hot dog fiancee  
DAVE: just cause its gross doesnt mean i cant have some kisses  
DAVE: her breath even smells like mint i cant not kiss her  
HARRY ANDERSON: that’s even grosser.  
DAVE: oh probably  
DAVE: i open my mouth and its just a toilet  
DAVE: the universe applauds at how i managed to fit plumbing in there  
HARRY ANDERSON: that makes no sense.  
HARRY ANDERSON: and also is really gross!!! toilets are where poop goes!  
DAVE: my point exactly

Jade rolls her eyes, deciding instead to spend her Saturday morning cleaning dishes over listening to Dave talk to Harry about how on Earth plumbing could fit inside a person (she knows biology enough that she could easily explain to him that they DO have internal plumbing, but he’s also five, so it doesn’t matter.)

Finally, Dave finishes up with one of the waffles, giving it to Harry, and another for Jade - she puts on some butter and maple syrup (unlike the whipped cream and chocolate chips all over Harry’s… whatever happened to not so much sugar? _Dave_!!!! Her stomach churns just looking at it, she thinks she might throw up) and eats it up before cleaning up, giving Dave a smooch, and heading out to the garden - all she has to do is put on some gloves, she can teleport any dirt off her pretty dress. Why _not_ look cute while doing work?

She spends an hour weeding the garden and picking strawberries and blueberries off the bushes, her knees and hands covered in mud by the time she’s done. She gets it off her dress with a snap and washes off her hands in the sink behind their house. God, she loves their house so much. One could not possibly ask for a nicer house, it’s got three bedrooms (one’s an office right now), a great kitchen, a nice little living room, and it even has a huge backyard.

They’ve been talking about getting a dog. She thinks Sievert would be a cute name for a dog. Like Becquerel, it’s another unit of radiation… maybe Sie, for short. But getting a dog can wait until her garden’s been fully harvested.

Dave and Harry are playing Candy Land on the kitchen table when she comes back inside, a basket full of berries and herbs to eat. She washes them, brings them to the table, puts some strawberries in plastic bags for her to take to work - everyone says she’s got the best strawberries.

She listens to the music playing, the specific chords on the bass signalling it’s one of the songs she and Dave made together, back when they were younger… she can’t tell which _one_ , though, it’s been so long since she’s heard it, about fifteen years if she knows her math right, and she always does.

JADE: hey babe  
JADE: which song is this?  
DAVE: crystalanthemums i think  
JADE: i used to have this on my freshjamz playlist i think  
JADE: with all those other songs!  
JADE: like the remix of explore you did!!  
JADE: that one was my favorite  
JADE: i cant believe you kept these  
DAVE: oh yeah theyre just buried on my ipod

He shrugs, going back to playing Candy Land with Harry Anderson, who clearly has no stakes in this musical conversation she’s currently having with her fiance. She remembers these songs fondly - waking up to a remix of one of her songs from Dave, sitting right in her pesterlogs, was always so cool! _Dave_ was so cool! Okay, sure, she could see right through him, even from early on... but still cool, in his own way, albeit a dork. Maybe he’s cool ‘cause he’s a dork. She has no idea.

JADE: man i missed hearing our music!  
JADE: we should get the gang back together again and make some  
DAVE: i mean theyve all kinda got kids  
DAVE: itd be hard to get the band together when youve got children to feed  
JADE: hm

He’s right, and she knows it. Sometimes she wonders if they’re missing out on something, having not had kids when Rose did, when John did. Sure, with Roxy and John it was an accident, and with Rose they just _knew_ when they saw Vrissy, and with Jane and Jake it was… also an accident, but she supposes lots of things are accidents. Hell, _they_ were ectobiological accidents, weren’t they?

JADE: maybe we cant but theres no point in not trying right?  
JADE: like when john and roxy get back!  
DAVE: yeah maybe  
DAVE: itd be fun

He doesn’t sound so sure of that.

She sighs, plopping a strawberry into her mouth so she can’t talk for a moment, her brain forming half-thoughts that don’t make a full one. She doesn’t know what she’s supposed to be thinking. There’s probably a thought in there somewhere, right? Something that’ll make her realize how to solve the current problem she’s feeling deep inside, the knowledge that something’s just not quite right.

Maybe it’s the current president. Maybe it’s the waffles she ate. But it’s not either of those, it’s recent but it’s also been there a while. She doesn’t think it’s the idea of having kids - she’s not even sure she wants them! She’s not sure _Dave_ wants them! In honesty she doesn’t know what she wants and the thought’s terrifying but also rather freeing at the same time, because it means she doesn’t have to worry about what she does or doesn’t want, if she can’t figure it out.

JADE: do you think so or are you just saying that

Dave looks at her, an expression she can’t read. She supposes that’s fair. But he reaches over, puts his hand over hers, and that’s good enough for now, she can deal with her feelings or lack thereof later on.

HARRY ANDERSON: i won!!!

Harry’s voice brings her back out of the feeling-stupor. He’s grinning at them, that very specific grin that she and John and Jane all share with Harry. It’s one she’d recognize anywhere, part of their family.

Dave reaches his hand over, leaving hers, to ruffle Harry’s hair, and he pulls away, pulling a face.

DAVE: damn good job dude  
DAVE: you did great  
DAVE: how about you pick what we have for lunch  
DAVE: and the rest of us just deal with whatever it is  
DAVE: youre king of the house for today you hear me  
HARRY ANDERSON: that’s not as cool as being king of the troll kingdom or human kingdom, like you and dad…  
DAVE: hey your moms queen of the carapace kingdom  
DAVE: well  
DAVE: other dad  
HARRY ANDERSON: still!! i want to be a real royal person!  
DAVE: ok lets make you one

Dave laughs, and gets to his feet, pulling his sword out of his sylladex. Fear INSTANTLY courses through her, and she goes to stop him, before he has Harry kneeling on the ground, and Dave very, very, VERY carefully knights him, sword flat on either shoulder and then Harry’s head. Dave has all the knowledge of an entire childhood of using a sword, and while Jade knows he won’t hurt Harry, she’s still worried, her hand reached out to try and stop Dave from doing something dumb.

DAVE: in the name of the strilonde in you  
DAVE: and in the name of the harleybert in you  
DAVE: i hearby dub you prince of all four kingdoms  
DAVE: thats an entire honor and you gotta do your duty a prince of every kingdom on earth c and make sure you brush your teeth every night and eat all your veggies  
DAVE: princes gotta do that you know  
DAVE: ask dirk hes one  
HARRY ANDERSON: really?? i’m a prince now?  
DAVE: oh for sure

He recaptchalogues the sword, and Jade breathes a sigh of relief.

HARRY ANDERSON: that’s sooooo cool!  
HARRY ANDERSON: can we have macaroni and cheese for lunch?

Dave laughs at that, and glances back at Jade, mouthing a ‘it’s okay’ at her before helping Harry to his feet.

DAVE: course we can  
DAVE: we can have it for every meal if you want  
HARRY ANDERSON: yesssssssssssss.

* * *

Lunch is, unsurprisingly, macaroni and cheese. At least Dave tosses some hot dogs in with it, although Harry loudly exclaims he isn’t sure that he likes that, his voice coming out as a dead-ringer for Roxy’s. Jade giggles at that (her opinion is that it is very, very good, hot dogs are so good, she cannot quit wagging her tail), and they clean up together, before Jade heads to the store for groceries. It’s a nice, silent trip, and she gets some neapolitan to boot, swings by the library to return some DVDs she and Dave picked up and never watched.

She even buys Dave some flowers. Cockscomb, red, his favorite - and yes, it’s because of the name. She takes the slow route home, flying instead of teleporting back, the groceries in her sylladex, flowers in hand.

He’s excited when he sees them, puts them in a vase and kisses her until she can’t stand it anymore and lets him get back to making dinner. Which is also macaroni and cheese, of course - she’s pretty certain she’ll be tired of mac and cheese by the end of this weekend. They’ve got one more day, and then a morning, and John and Roxy will be back to pick up Harry Anderson, and then she and Dave will have the house to themselves again.

Two games of Candy Land and a bowl of Neapolitan later, Harry Anderson gets put to bed (with a bedtime story and a glass of water), and she and Dave collapse on the couch. She has her head in his lap, and his fingers expertly stroke her ears, making her a very, very happy girl.

She’s staring up at him, at his red eyes framed with dark lashes, and she can’t help but grin, reaching up to cup at the side of his face.

DAVE: hey whats that for  
DAVE: am i gonna get head pats again  
JADE: its not for anything, silly  
JADE: i just wanna touch you  
JADE: i love you a lot you know  
DAVE: i know  
DAVE: i love you too

He adjusts his positioning so he can take her hand in his. 

DAVE: just so you know  
DAVE: whatevers going on up in that pretty brain of yours  
JADE: thats silly  
JADE: brains arent pretty!  
DAVE: hey you know what they say about how smarts the new sexy right  
DAVE: pretty sure theyve been saying that for a really long time but whatever  
DAVE: as i was saying  
DAVE: im here ok  
DAVE: if you need to talk or vent or even just sit here and think  
DAVE: if you need a shoulder to cry on

He pats his shoulder with the other hand, before resuming ear-scritches. She makes a sleepy face at him, probably - she can’t really see her own face.

JADE: i know  
JADE: ive just been thinking a lot  
DAVE: i hear thats a bad idea  
JADE: shhh  
JADE: ive just kinda been thinking about how all our friends are married with kids and i know were engaged and all but like  
JADE: maybe we missed out on doing it earlier  
DAVE: hey  
DAVE: there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking our sweet fucking time doing things the way we want to  
DAVE: we row our boat as slow or as fast as we want  
DAVE: not how everyone else rows theirs  
DAVE: if you want to row it faster and try and catch up we can do that but is that what _you_ want to do or is it what you think you should do because everyone else is rowing theirs that way

She has to pause, think for a moment about what he’s saying. It makes sense. She knows it makes sense, and she knows that there’s nothing wrong with going slow, but what if they’re going too slow? It’s been five years and they’re just now engaged! Isn’t that pretty slow?

She just wants to bury her face in his lap. Which might be a little weird, so maybe his stomach instead, or the crook of his neck, where her face fits so perfectly.

JADE: i dunno…  
DAVE: you dont gotta know  
JADE: i feel like i have to know  
JADE: cause if i dont know then whats the point  
JADE: i mean its nice to not know cause then i dont gotta know!  
JADE: but i want to know so i can do something about it  
JADE: i mean harry and vrissy and tavros are all like five now  
JADE: and johns been married for like five years now  
JADE: so has jane and jake  
JADE: my entire familys married with kids and im not!!  
DAVE: well not your entire family  
DAVE: harry and tavros are way too young for that  
JADE: you know what i mean, dave

He treads his fingers through her hair, and her entire body just sort of softens. Like ice cream. It’s a nice feeling, just melting against her fiance’s legs and lap. She decides she doesn’t mind the thoughts stirring up in there, as long as he’s right here.

DAVE: so i guess the question is  
DAVE: like  
DAVE: do you want kids

She looks up at Dave. He’s biting at his lip, forehead wrinkled, and she recognizes the expression, because she’s known him for so long, known him in person since they were thirteen and then sixteen. She blows a strand of her hair out of her face, and it falls back against her glasses, and he reaches over to move it off without smudging them - he just looks confused, uncertain, unsure.

About how she feels, she supposed.

JADE: i dont know!!!  
JADE: thats really dumb right?  
JADE: i mean when i was younger i thought we were gonna have to because of karkats dumb shipping chart…  
JADE: but that was kinda just me thinking i had to?  
JADE: i dont know!  
JADE: its so dumb and i just cant figure out my feelings on the subject and id really like to because i dont know how i feel and what if you feel differently if i feel one way or another and…  
JADE: thats really dumb right?  
JADE: i shouldnt be feeling like this  
JADE: i should just

Jade throws her hands into the air, almost hits Dave in the face. Her body just feels tight, and not in the fun way, like Dave’s tying her up in bed. It’s the type of tight where her body feels pulled too damn tight, her chest sinking in. She hates it.

JADE: i should just know right?  
JADE: i mean if i want to be a mom  
JADE: shouldnt i know that??

Dave runs his fingers through her hair once again, letting out a sigh that practically resonates through her bones.

JADE: what if we have kids and we suck at it??  
JADE: what if we dont?  
JADE: what if…  
DAVE: hey no playin the what if game  
DAVE: we are not doing that  
DAVE: do you want to know what i think  
JADE: yeah  
DAVE: i think youd be a fucking incredible mom  
JADE: you do?  
DAVE: no shit i do  
DAVE: youre smart and funny and kind and everythin else good with a cherry and some sprinkles on top like a goddamned jade sundae  
DAVE: you even taste good if you know what i mean

He... winks at her. Jade groans.

JADE: thats dumb, dave  
JADE: kinda hot though  
DAVE: isnt it  
DAVE: you really are a sundae and thats the whipped cream  
JADE: gross  
DAVE: you love it  
DAVE: dont tell me you dont  
JADE: i do because its you  
JADE: for the record i think youd be a great dad too  
DAVE: or maybe id be just like my bro  
DAVE: a fuckin shitfest of horrible parenting with some fucked up dynamics tossed on top but hey at least i probably wouldnt be raising my kid as if they were my younger sibling  
JADE: yeah what was your bro thinking with that??  
DAVE: no clue  
DAVE: he was young when he picked me up outta that meteor  
DAVE: probably like 20 or 21 i dunno  
DAVE: but anyways  
DAVE: if you wanted to have kids  
DAVE: id be okay with that  
DAVE: and if you dont want to have kids

He sighs, again, and she’s trying to figure out what he’s thinking, but doesn’t want to try and guess, in case she’s wrong. Maybe he’s thinking that if she doesn’t want kids he’d hate her. Maybe he does hate her for not considering it until now, oh no, maybe he wants to break up with - okay, that’s highly unlikely, and logic recognizes that, but she’s a very, very emotional person right now, because of this dumb discussion.

DAVE: if you dont thats okay too  
DAVE: i can go either way on the parenthood bus  
DAVE: you can drive it and just let me out at any stop  
JADE: you should have a say in this too dave…  
DAVE: i know  
DAVE: that is my say on it  
DAVE: i know that i love you a lot and while im worried id suck at it  
DAVE: i dont think i would you know  
DAVE: thats what parenting classes are for  
JADE: yeah…  
JADE: i just dont know if i want them!  
JADE: i dont want to be a bad mom if we do ecto up a kid or adopt or… get a surrogate, i guess…  
DAVE: yeah im not really comfortable with the surrogacy idea so lets just cross that right off  
JADE: why?  
JADE: i dont wanna be rude im just curious

Dave leans back against the couch, and she sits up so she can face him, adjusting her shirt a little where it rode up in the back. His mouth’s pressed in a thin line, brow still furrowed, and his shoulders slump a little when he finally opens his mouth back up.

DAVE: i dont really want to watch someone thats not you pregnant with my kid or your kid or whatever  
DAVE: and it being you isnt an option  
DAVE: it just feels weird to me

She supposes she understands. She also sort of doesn’t.

JADE: thats fair  
JADE: maybe i should just sleep on it… maybe sleep on it a _lot_  
DAVE: hahaha maybe you should  
DAVE: i know im pretty wiped out  
DAVE: harrys a piece of work sometimes  
DAVE: but hes young enough he hasnt realized im letting him win at candy land  
DAVE: dont tell him i cant break his heart like that  
DAVE: thats just too cruel and unfairly unjust  
DAVE: terezi would have my head for lying to a kid like that  
JADE: then just win next time and that way it seems more fair!  
DAVE: damn  
DAVE: thats genius

* * *

Ironically, sleeping on it doesn’t help that much. She just wakes up from dreams about Bec to a headache, and takes some Ibuprofen to calm down, slips back into a hazy warm daze on the couch while whatever show Harry Anderson’s watching plays, honestly a bit ominously. Not that she cares; she’s very sleepy and her head feels like someone’s been ramming into it with a truck. Dave doesn’t question it, instead gets Harry to turn off the TV and hang out upstairs with him - she can hear Dave playing music upstairs at some point.

Jade finally snaps out of it around 11, mainly because Dave’s making grilled cheese (yes! Not mac and cheese!) in the kitchen. She feels drained and groggy and out of it, makes some coffee despite that she really shoudn’t be drinking it (she is part dog, and is thusly mildly allergic to it. Not as much as a normal dog, obviously.)

DAVE: hey  
DAVE: you doing ok

She glances up from putting a sugar packet into her cup. Dave’s looking at her, concern written all across his features like someone took a sharpie to his face and just wrote the words there, “i am concerned about you” or something. 

JADE: yeah just got a headache  
JADE: thanks for asking  
DAVE: coffees probably not gonna do you any help there

He’s right, and she knows it, but she takes a sip anyways, looking him right in the eyes. He’s wearing his shades (he has sensory issues) but she knows she’s meeting him right there, her eyes on his. He frowns at her, gives a nonchalant shrug, and flips over Harry’s grilled cheese sandwich.

DAVE: are you hungry  
DAVE: i can make you one  
DAVE: or give you mine while i make one  
JADE: im good thanks  
DAVE: if you change your mind im here all day  
DAVE: i can even put bacon in it

God, she loves him. She loves him so fucking much, it’s so unfair that he’s like this. That’s completely illegal, he cannot be this good to her, who let him be this damn incredible? Surely not her. She didn’t ask for this. She probably doesn’t deserve it.

Jade leans over, presses a chaste kiss to his cheek - Harry still lets out a groan anyways, and both Dave and Jade laugh in unison at that, Jade reaching down to cop a feel at her fiance’s butt. He raises a brow at her, before kissing her right on the mouth and pulling away, wiggling his eyebrows.

HARRY ANDERSON: you guys are so gross!  
DAVE: what did i say about plumbing  
DAVE: i am the plumbing  
JADE: youre not plumbing!  
DAVE: im plumbing if i want to be  
DAVE: and i want to be plumbing  
JADE: that makes no sense dave  
HARRY ANDERSON: yeah it does! it’s gross! ewwwwwwwww.

Harry’s sticking his tongue out when she looks at him. Dave sets down a paper plate with his grilled cheese on it right in front of him. The grossed out look fades, and he picks up the grilled cheese, takes a bite, before nodding in approval.

Dave leans over, dropping his voice as he pretty much whispers into Jade’s ear. She expects something flirty and tantalizing at first, but that’s… immediately proven wrong.

DAVE: thank fuck  
DAVE: i honestly dont know what i wouldve done if hed hated it  
DAVE: i know american and cheddar arent always the best together  
DAVE: but i didnt have enough american for one  
DAVE: and its that whole wheat bread  
DAVE: i just put a shiiiiiiiiiiit ton of butter on the pan  
JADE: your grilled cheeses are fine dont worry about it  
JADE: id eat one if i was hungry

Dave gives her a lopsided grin, highlighting the dimples in his cheeks, and turns off the stove.

DAVE: your approval is all i need  
DAVE: they can just send me to the tombs right now

She rolls her eyes, watching him take a bite of his own grilled cheese and give an approving head tilt at the flavor - that’s always what he does, that single slight head tilt and half-nod and she knows he likes whatever he’s eating. Even if he says he doesn’t, like that bacon-and-onion risotto she bought from the store and he pretended he didn’t like so she could have the whole thing.

Needless to say, bacon-and-onion risotto is commonplace in their house now.

JADE: im glad it tastes good  
JADE: i really would eat some if i could stomach it  
JADE: my head just hurts too much

She gives him the puppy-dog frown, a bit pouty, and he snorts.

DAVE: why dont you go lay down  
DAVE: i can babysit harry myself  
JADE: i already did lay down!  
JADE: i dont want to shirk my babysitting duties  
DAVE: babe its no biggie if you need to sit in a dark room and just lay there  
DAVE: youd say the same for me right  
JADE: well duh

Behind them, Harry Anderson clambers off the stool and brings his paper plate to the garbage can, showing off the empty plate before throwing it out - she’s pretty sure John has him do that, which explains why he’s done it at every meal. Maybe to show he ate all his vegetables? Hmm. Unsure. She will figure that out ASAP.

JADE: so why do you throw out your plate like that?  
JADE: i mean you show it to us!  
HARRY ANDERSON: oh it’s cause my other dad does that, to show dad he ate all his veggies.  
HARRY ANDERSON: sometimes veggies and fruits that aren’t pumpkins make dad feel sick.  
HARRY ANDERSON: cause he didn’t eat them as a kid!  
HARRY ANDERSON: so i do it too so other-dad doesn’t feel bad.  
JADE: oh

Sometimes she forgets Roxy grew up solely surrounded by Carapaceans, with very little food. She’s seen the scars on him, from going through the fenestrated planes to travel places. Dirk has a few, too, but most are from strifing - she only found out when Dirk and Karkat started dating, and Karkat told her how Dirk had the same scars Roxy does.

She guesses it’s nice, in a way, to have something in common with Roxy and Dirk. But at least _she_ had a human around, once upon a time, so maybe she’s got something over them - not that it’s the ‘who had it worse’ olympics. There are no games to be played.

Harry’s a good kid, she thinks. He really is a good kid, and she’s pretty damn lucky to consider herself his aunt.

JADE: thats really sweet of you harry  
JADE: i bet that makes your dads very happy!  
HARRY ANDERSON: i dunno. maybe.  
HARRY ANDERSON: they aren’t very happy sometimes.  
HARRY ANDERSON: i dunno why...

He shrugs, and heads into the living room, plopping down on the couch and flicking the TV on, the sounds of a cartoon filling the air. Jade and Dave exchange a look - he’s washing the pan off, and looks about as concerned as she feels.

JADE: you dont think roxy and john are arguing  
JADE: do you?  
DAVE: no idea  
DAVE: i dont think so  
DAVE: i think john would tell one of us that  
DAVE: and roxy definitely would say somethin  
JADE: well we are family  
JADE: maybe they dont wanna worry us...  
JADE: i know i wouldnt tell rose if we were arguing!!  
JADE: frankly its none of her beeswax no matter how much wax she thinks she deserves  
JADE: she can make all the candles but she doesnt get my wax!  
DAVE: god youre adorable

Dave hands her the pan, and she dries it off and puts it away, taking the spatula after to do the same.

JADE: i hope theyre ok  
DAVE: they probably are  
DAVE: john and roxy love each other a lot  
DAVE: and roxy has callie  
DAVE: and john has terezi  
DAVE: they have people to talk to  
JADE: has terezi said anything to you?

Sometimes she forgets about Dave and Terezi’s psuedo-moiraillegance, or whatever semblance of one they have. They don’t use the label, but she’s seen them up ridiculously late, sprawled out on a pile of scalemates and blankets, quietly talking. And piles _are_ a pale thing, she thinks. She’s pretty sure, that is.

DAVE: no  
DAVE: this is the first im hearing of anything  
JADE: im kinda worried

Dave doesn’t say anything. He does, however, take her hands in his - they’re a little wet and a little soapy, but that’s not the end of the world. She wants to push his glasses out of the way, see his pretty eyes (Dave, in honesty, is so very, very pretty.) But she doesn’t make a move to. Instead, she just leans in, and his arms wrap around her in a hug, and the headache she had feels like it’s fading just at the touch.

She could probably stay here for an eternity, his arms wrapped around her, and hers around him, just the sound of his heartbeat acting as lullaby to her ears.

DAVE: sorry im fussing so goddamn much  
JADE: its okay  
DAVE: i dont like seein you in a shitty spot  
DAVE: especially when i have no idea how to help  
JADE: hey shoosh.  
JADE: this helps

Jade taps at his shoulder a little, and he gives an awkward laugh.

DAVE: i cannot entangle myself up in you like some shitty two armed octopus forever  
DAVE: eventually you got work and i got shit to do  
DAVE: as much as i would love to spend my entire life right here right now  
DAVE: and never leave  
JADE: i know  
JADE: that would be really nice though wouldnt it?  
DAVE: yeah  
DAVE: it would

Maybe it’s okay that she doesn’t know how to feel. Maybe it’s more than okay, because it’s a Sunday afternoon and she’s in her fiance’s arms and it feels like the only place she should be right now. Maybe it’s way past okay, and she doesn’t need to figure out whatever the hell she wants anytime soon, because they have so many eternities to figure this out, they can keep on going and going and going until the end of time. They don’t have to have answers.

She doesn’t have to have answers.

And that, Jade thinks, is definitely okay.

* * *

Monday morning comes before she knows it. She and Dave get dressed, get Harry fed, and things seem good. Hell, things seem pretty damn great. They watched a movie about dogs last night, and Jade doesn’t remember the name because she kept going ‘boof’ at the screen anytime she saw a dog she really liked, and Dave kept having to kiss her to distract her, and Harry kept going “ewwwww!!!!”, but it was a good movie, she supposes. They even played more Candy Land, and Dave did not let Harry win, and Harry frowned for a good few moments before swearing to beat his uncle next time.

All in all, a good night.

And the morning’s pretty great, too. Harry helps her in the garden, helps pick some strawberries, and they make a smoothie with fresh fruit to have with breakfast - it turns out to be the consistency of a very thick milkshake, Dave declares that “ooh she thicc”, and Jade almost decks her fiance, instead settling for an eye-roll behind her glasses.

They draw while they wait for Roxy and John to get there, and Dave doodles an entire SBAHJ comic while Harry draws his entire family - John and Roxy at the front, him in the middle between them, with Rose and Kanaya and Vrissy off to the side, and Jake and Jane and Tavros to the other side.

There’s no Jade and Dave to be seen.

JADE: hey what about us?

Harry looks up from his crayons, coloring in Rose’s hair lavender. Her hair’s a few shades lighter, but hey, maybe she should suggest lavender to Rose next time she’s about to dye her hair?

HARRY ANDERSON: what about you??  
JADE: well thats your whole family right?  
HARRY ANDERSON: well… it’s me and aunt rose and aunt kanaya and vrissy and aunt jane and uncle jake and tavros and mom and dad.  
JADE: its very nice!! 

She can’t help that her ears fold down against her head - maybe he just forgot to draw them? They are babysitting him, maybe he doesn’t want to put them in it? Maybe he DOES hate them…

HARRY ANDERSON: did you want me to draw you and uncle dave in it?  
JADE: its your art not mine!!

(Her art is her fursona. Not that she’s going to say that to him.)

Harry nods and goes back to drawing, adding some color to Tavros’ hair, Vrissy’s shirt. He adds in Vriska and Terezi, off to the side. She knows it’s dumb, to feel bad about a five year old not including her in his art, but she does feel a little bad, as silly as it is.

She shouldn’t feel bad.

It’s just art.

Dave holds up his SBAHJ comic, and she hums approvingly, reading over Sweet Bro making some nachos for Hella Jeff, giving him a thumbs out before going back to coloring in her art with colored pencils.

HARRY ANDERSON: i’m done!

He holds up his artwork - and not only did he add Vriska and Terezi, but also Jasprose, Gcatavros, Calliope, Dirk, and Karkat. Jade blinks at it for a moment - wow, okay, maybe he’s just…

HARRY ANDERSON: it’s for you and uncle dave!  
HARRY ANDERSON: so you can put it on the fridge!!  
HARRY ANDERSON: so you have _everyone_ on your fridge.

Dave coughs, and Jade straight up starts tearing up a little - god, that’s the sweetest thing she’s ever seen anyone do for her, and god does she love her nephew so much? She hugs him, the second he gets down from the stool to put it on the fridge door.

JADE: youre my favorite nephew  
HARRY ANDERSON: what about tavros??  
JADE: well hes my brother! so he cant be my favorite nephew!

(She tries not to think about that very much.)

DAVE: what about vrissy  
JADE: shes my favorite niece, duh  
DAVE: thats fair  
HARRY ANDERSON: vrissy’s gross and stinky.  
DAVE: thats also fair and youre completely right  
DAVE: god she acts just like vriska but if vriska was kanaya instead of vriska  
DAVE: that makes no sense but you know im right  
JADE: i never said you werent??  
DAVE: you were thinking it

Okay, maybe she was thinking it just a little but. But she grabs Dave’s hand, and teleports him into the hug, and he just rolls his eyes at her over Harry’s other side, his knees planted firmly on the kitchen floor.

And then the doorbell rings.

Jade immediately teleports over, opening the door with a grin on her face, and a few tears still bubbling up in her eyes. Roxy looks… concerned. He’s wearing a pair of star-shaped shades, which is new, but she can still see his vibrant pink eyes, and the frown on his glossy lips, but he walks inside anyways, followed by John, who’s apparently gotten a bit of a haircut and a shave since Friday night - no more mustache! His face is free! It doesn’t look like there’s a squirrel on it! The world is safe once more!

Harry _charges_ over, running into Roxy’s arms - he’s already kneeling down to catch his son, and Harry’s grinning, holding his box of crayons.

HARRY ANDERSON: dad!!!!  
ROXY: heya squirt  
ROXY: hope u didnt get in any trouble  
ROXY: got ya something while me and dad were on vacay  
HARRY ANDERSON: really??  
ROXY: eeyup

John sighs, leaning against the door, before smiling at Jade.

JADE: he did fine dont worry  
JOHN: he’s my son, jade, i’m gonna worry.  
JADE: you lost the stache??  
JOHN: yeah me and roxy had a really long talk...  
JADE: are you two doing ok?

John pulls her aside, so they’re standing in the living room instead of the entryway. He looks rather solemn for a moment, before the corner of his mouth starts twitching and she can’t help but smile back, because John’s grins are so dang infectious. 

JOHN: yeah. we’re doing great.  
JOHN: you’re the first to hear this so don’t tell anyone but…  
JOHN: i’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, and i’ve come to the conclusion that… i’m not a man.  
JOHN: i’m trans gender.

Okay, suddenly a LOT of things make sense in retrospect.

JOHN?: vriska and calliope and roxy helped me figure it out and me and roxy talked a lot about it this weekend, and i’m gonna start growing my hair out. we’re gonna tell harry anderson tonight, i think.  
JADE: oh!  
JADE: im so happy for you john  
JADE: wait should i call you something else??  
JOHN?: um… well a long time ago vriska gave me a suggestion but i didn’t really consider it a suggestion until then?  
JOHN?: but... you can call me june?  
JADE: thats such a nice name!!! it has an e on the end like the rest of us!  
JUNE: you can thank vriska for that, haha.

Jade throws her arms around her sister - her sister!!!! - and hugs June Egbert as tightly as she can, because this has got to be one of the happiest days of June’s life, coming out.

JADE: im soooooo happy for you june!!!  
JADE: i guess harry still does have a mom and a dad its just not the ones he thought!  
JUNE: heh, i guess you’re right.  
JUNE: that’s kind of funny.

Jade pulls back, grinning at her sister, and turns back towards Roxy and Harry and Dave - they’re all chatting, and Jade catches her fiance’s eye, giving him a smile. She can’t help it - it really _is_ infectious, the best kind of disease.

June, Roxy, and Harry take them out for lunch at Chipotle, and June pulls Dave aside midway through - Jade expects she’s telling him, because about three minutes into their discussion he actually genuinely hugs June for the first time in years (June’s not the huggiest sort of person.) Dave looks so damn excited when he comes back to the table, stealing some of Jade’s chips and dipping them in her salsa. She swats at his hand, and Harry laughs, and Roxy gets this grin on his face like he’s really never been happier, and all is well.

She can figure out the things she wants in life later - right now, she just wants to keep her hand in Dave’s, and think about the future another time.

She has everything she needs right in front of her.


End file.
